Welcome to The Black List, your one stop shop for the stories published on the site this week.

MONDAY 1 FEATURENew Horizons: 50 Original Games to Watch in 2013 (1 of 5) > After selling Castle Crashers to every man, woman and child on earth back in 2008, we can only assume that The Behemoth went on a four year cocaine bender. How else to explain the continued absence of BattleBlock Theater from the Xbox Live Marketplace? This offbeat platformer will see you compete in a series of mini games in order to alleviate the boredom of your captors… who happen to be cats. This is just one of the games tackled in part one of our massive preview special. READ MORE

MONDAY 2 REVIEWescapeVektor > With the big name franchises faltering, it looks like it might be up to the indies to show what the Vita can do. From Sydney based developer Nnooo, escapeVektor is one of the best things I’ve played on Sony’s latest handheld. Highly polished, it combines warm and comforting retro aesthetics with highly sophisticated gameplay and fiendish level design. Unfortunately, the trailer doesn’t do justice to the complexity of the game and how enjoyable it is to play. READ MORE

TUESDAY 1 FEATURENew Horizons: 50 Original Games to Watch in 2013 (2 of 5) > After a decade in the trenches with Microsoft, Peter Molyneux is at last working on a game that doesn’t feature the word ‘Fable’ in its title. In fact, he’s returning to the genre he helped establish with 1989’s Populous. Godus places you in the (presumably quite large) boots of a mighty deity. You’ll need to use your powers to manipulate the landscape, attract followers and defeat rival gods. Look for it on PC and mobile in September. This is just one of the games tackled in part two of our massive preview special. READ MORE

TUESDAY 2 FEATURESpire > Australian indie developer Hitbox Team has recently unveiled its upcoming sophomore effort, entitled Spire. Following on from their frenzied platformer Dustforce, Spire will see Hitbox pushing forward into the FPS genre in what looks to be another exciting and original IP. The game is set in a “monolithic tower of unknown origin” and its pre-alpha interior crosses the unmistakable art design of Hitbox with the aesthetics of a much darker Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker. READ MORE

WEDNESDAY FEATURENew Horizons: 50 Original Games to Watch in 2013 (3 of 5)> Remember when you went away for the weekend without arranging for someone to water your fern? Well, guess what? It’s payback time. The Last of Ustakes place in a world decimated by a virulent strain of plant life. No, it’s not an unofficial adaptation of The Happening, it’s a lavishly staged blend of action and stealth from Naughty Dog. The latest PS3 exclusive from the creator of Uncharted is due for release in May. This is just one of the games tackled in part three of our massive preview special. READ MORE

THURSDAY FEATURENew Horizons: 50 Original Games to Watch in 2013 (4 of 5)> If the moon is anything like its depiction in Routine, then we should just go ahead and pull the plug on the space program. The money saved will come in handy for the therapy we’ll need after playing this survival horror title for the PC. Indie developer Lunar Software is aiming to provide a deeply immersive experience. To this end, the game won’t include an aiming reticle or indeed HUD elements of any kind. This is just one of the games tackled in part four of our massive preview special. READ MORE

FRIDAY FEATURENew Horizons: 50 Original Games to Watch in 2013 (5 of 5)> Given the sheer number of zombie games already available, it can’t be easy to come up with a snappy new title. That’s why we’re impressed with State of Decay. Sure, the name isn’t quite as infectious as Left4Dead, but it’s a big step up from Touch the Dead and for that, we’re grateful. With a focus on gathering resources and improving defences, this open world survival game from Undead Labs is set to arrive on XBLA and PC in early 2013. READ MORE